


Tightly Knit

by tradrishanally



Series: The United States of Chaos* (*Read: America) [8]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Statetalia
Genre: Acephobia, Anthony is a Disaster Gay, Anthony is content with Tyler being a cuddle buddy in the end, Gen, Knitting, Madison is a bitch, Tyler is Aro/Ace, arophobia, gay pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-09 02:31:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17398319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tradrishanally/pseuds/tradrishanally
Summary: “I’m never going to get over you, and I hope you know that.”“And I’m never going to love you any more than as a friend, and I know you know that.”The story of a "relationship."





	Tightly Knit

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to my Aro/Ace Best friend who is in a "relationship" with her Disaster Lesbian Best Friend- aka the people who inspired Tyler and Tony.
> 
>  
> 
> **All text in italics is from the past, around the 1800s.**

He has to admit that 2 of his problems have full names and they are Anthony Joshua Jones and Madison Faith Jones. He also has to admit that Madison and Anthony are problems on opposite ends of the spectrum.  
\---

Tony hasn’t sat still for about an hour and Tyler could feel his last 2 brain cells throwing a fit. Tyler eventually gives up on the collar of the sweater when Anthony has moved to the other side of the couch for the fifth time. It was never going to get started at this rate.

Tony groans and apologises after Tyler angrily tosses the just-started sweater. “‘M sorry- I just can’t sit still-” Tyler cuts him off.

“Did you even fucking sleep? You can’t sit still when you’re tired because the minute you do, you doze off. ‘M not stupid.” His words are sharp but his intent isn’t.

“I did,” Tony snarks back.

“How long?”

That’s the catcher- Anthony curls into himself in shame. Tyler sighs, shaking his head.

“You need to sleep-”

“I know.”

(Anthony ends up curling into him and falling asleep and Tyler finishes the collar.)  
\---

Finals are stupid, and that’s his TEDTalk. Anthony was stressing over his Artistic Composition Final project, Tyler was pissed at the teacher for leaving it completely open-ended when half the class probably doesn’t know what to do, and the project is due in less than a week. He finishes the sleeve of the sweater while nodding.

Tyler makes an offhand remark about creating a physical Pinterest board and Anthony shouts, “WHY THE FUCK DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT YESTERDAY?????”  
\---

Madison hits on him constantly and then rants to everyone about how he won’t even respond to her. They’ve learned to stop listening when she starts ranting, but it hurts to listen to someone who you told in the beginning of knowing try and “fix” you.  
-

_“Maddie?” He’d asked while half asleep yet wide awake._

_“Mhm?” She’d murmured in response, just tired._

_“What do you do if you don’t feel attraction to anyone? Like- I have my friends but I don’t get crushes or anything like them.”_

_“They say it’s a disorder. I dunno, do you think it could just be that you haven’t found the one? Ya know- in fairytales,” she sits up and looks at him, obviously confused._

_“You’d think I’d have found them by now- I don’t think so.” He’s scared at what she’ll say._

_“You might have to see a psychiatrist or a doctor- that’s not right.”_

_He’s choked up because he didn’t want to hear that. “Just forget it.”_   
-

He only told Anthony because he had to.   
-

_It was late and they were both tipsy- well who wasn’t? Kelsey and Louise hadn’t come back from the battle yet and they were hoping neither of them had died._

_It was half-obvious that Anthony was trying to kiss him, and Tyler was getting uncomfortable. He was counting the minutes until Anthony tried something and he didn’t seem to know that Tyler wasn’t into it._

_He was too busy trying to brace himself for it, so much so that it scared him when it did happen. Tony leaned in and Tyler scooted away about 4 inches. Tony heard him and stopped immediately. They were both red, confused, and silent._

_“I’m sorry- I just-” Tyler tried to start it._

_“You’re fine, it was probably my fault. I made you uncomfortable,” Tony responds when Tyler can’t find the right words._

_“It’s just- I don’t think I could ever feel that way about anyone,” Tyler’s bracing for the same response Madison gave him._

_“You don’t get crushes or anything?”_

_“No. Never have, don’t think I ever will.”_

_It’s silent for a minute and he screwed up- here comes the rejection-_

_“Okay-” Anthony shrugs it off._   
-

_They’re recounting their week when Tony thinks of something and their bored conversations stop._

_“What?” Tyler looks over at him._

_“Nothing- something stupid-” Tony shrugs._

_“You say that like the stupid things you say don’t make people laugh. Tell me.”_

_“Nah- it’s more of a ‘question my entire person’ sort of stupid.”_

_“I do that every time you send me a video of you crying over fish. Nothing can top my weekends like that.”_

_“You really don’t want to hear it-”_

_“I really do. You ignoring it is not making it go away.”_

_They go back and forth with the ‘Do not”s and “Do too”s, Tyler eventually scoots over and utilizes Anthony’s lap as a nice footrest and rests his head on his shoulder.._

_“Please tell me,” Tyler mumbles, and he hides the shit-eating grin that comes with the almighty knowledge that Anthony becomes weak and complaint when he’s like this._

_“You asshole,” Anthony mutters, his face redder than he’s ever seen it._

_“Pleeeaseeeee.”_

_“_ I don’t even know why I love you anymore if you’re _-” Anthony claps his hand over his mouth for saying those 3 fatal words._

_Tyler freezes and dread piles into his stomach._

_“You WHAT?”_

_“_ I love you _\- there! That’s what I was thinking and what you wanted to hear,” Anthony grumbles._

_There’s silence._

_Unbreakable, silence._

_Anthony looks like he fucked up completely._

_Tyler doesn’t register that he’s speaking._

_“I think I would love you too if I could.”_   
-

_Madison asks him out once a week for a year and he is sick with the ideas of her intent._  
-

_She tries to kiss him on New Years and he slaps her in self-defence._  
-

_Anthony doesn't hate him and he yells at Madison when he finds out about what she tried._

_(She doesn't stop, though.)_  
\---

Tyler is still working on the sweater when Anthony strolls in with a smile that says, “If you say no, I will toss you into the pool that we still have filled in December for some reason.” He stops and looks at him, then the camera, then him, then the colour filters for the camera, then him.

“Go put on one of my sweaters for this, I want you to look like a creampuff.” Anthony smiles wider.

“I did NOT consent to this-” Tyler mumbles as he goes to put on the sweater.  
\---

Anthony holds him closer and takes the picture. He sets the film on his desk and replaces the film cartridge.   
\---

He messes with the project that Tyler is working on a for a picture and there’s a couple of pictures of him sleeping.  
\---

Tyler is wearing an old sweater and a jean jacket as he walks into the classroom as a visitor while Anthony is presenting his final project. His eyes go wide at the palette and the composition and the fact that it was in the shape of a heart.  
\---

Tyler finishes the sweater.   
\---

It’s Valentine’s Day and they’re both content with watching rom coms together.

Tyler puts the sweater on Anthony’s lap while he’s enthralled on the gossip. He notices and goes to put it on.

He comes back out wearing the sunset-coloured sweater and holding the card stashed inside the sleeve. “I’m never going to get over you, and I hope you know that.”

“And I’m never going to love you any more than as a friend, and I know you know that.”

Tony lays down on the couch, head in Tyler’s lap , and goes back to the rom-com and bitching about how Jessica is a whore.

It’s a tightly knit “relationship.”

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous comments disabled to prevent Anonymous Hellraising


End file.
